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Answers needed in the killing of Boulder elk

The Boulder Police Department needs to find out, and explain to the public, exactly what happened.

By The Denver Post Editorial Board

Posted:
01/04/2013 03:01:40 PM MST

Updated:
01/04/2013 04:50:41 PM MST

A Boulder police officer poses with an elk that was shot late Tuesday night in Boulder. (Photo courtesy Roger Koenig/Daily Camera)

It was evident from the outset that the mysterious details surrounding the killing of an elk in Boulder were going to emerge eventually.

And now that the cone of silence has begun to crack, it's apparent the Boulder Police Department has a lot of explaining to do.

What started out as an odd story has turned into something more serious, perhaps criminal.

The incident revolves around a large bull elk that apparently had been known to roam the Mapleton Hill area of Boulder for several winters.

Residents said they had often seen the animal moving about peacefully. Yet there were reports that the animal had become aggressive, and it was suspected of having recently trapped a mail carrier on a porch.

That was all prelude for what happened Tuesday night. The animal was shot dead, and residents said police killed it. However, Boulder police insisted they had no record of any of their officers having taken down the animal.

On Thursday, the details began to leak out. Boulder police revealed that an officer had, in fact, killed the animal but failed to report it to dispatch or his supervisors.

The officer said the elk was injured, according to reports in The Daily Camera. Then he gave the dead elk to an off-duty Boulder police officer, who took the animal to be processed for meat.

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Boulder Police apologized "for the confusion."

Confusion? This sounds like a lot more than confusion, and we're not inclined to think an apology is going to be enough.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating. There is potential for a poaching charge since the elk is a large trophy animal and the hunting of them is closely regulated.

The fine for the illegal taking of a six-point (or greater) elk is $10,000 on top of other potential criminal penalties. Also, hunting is not allowed in city limits.

On Friday, the police department suspended the two officers involved, and the Boulder County Sheriff's Office began an internal investigation to probe the role one of its deputies, also at the scene, in the incident.

Many questions remain to be answered.

Did the Boulder police officer who shot the animal at any point lie about it or deviate from procedure? Was the animal really injured or aggressive? Why didn't the officer ask for assistance from Parks and Wildlife? Would it have been possible to relocate this magnificent animal if it was found to be a nuisance?

We hope the police department conducts a thorough internal investigation, and that Boulder's district attorney will aggressively pursue any violations of law.

Coexisting with wildlife is a quintessential part of life in Colorado, and law enforcement must set the standard for understanding and respecting that.

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